(Above: The other pride of the South Side)

The Maker’s Mark and Blue Moon have been choppered in.  The Ricobone’s with Spinach is on board.  The liveblog… begins

2nd:  Sox 1 Indians 1:   While I was out discovering that my neighborhood liquor store had closed its doors, Shin-Soo Choo launched one in the first, but was answered immediately in the bottom frame by Jermaine Dye. Meanwhile up in Twinkieland, the Twins are again down against the Royals 4-2 and Joe Mauer just hit into his second double play in the bottom of the 9th courtesy of The Mexecutioner Joakim Soria….

UPDATE: Twins LOSE 4-2.  Mexecution couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of fellas. (Tied for) first place feels pretty good again.

UPDATE: (Top 4th) Choo has a great look on Javy, just sent one to the warning track in right but Dye pulled it in.  K number five for Javy – buh-bye Jhonny Peralta – another 3-up-3-down inning for Mr. Relaxation.

UPDATE: (Bot 4th) …and Jhermaine’s got an equally good look on Zach Jhackson, threatening at the track.  These two should get a room.  Jackson’s  (6.12 ERA) got good heat and the Sox haven’t seen him before.  Just announced: Cliff Lee has been SCRATCHED for tomorrow’s start vs the Sox.  Eric Wedge, the beer’s on me at the next Pere Ubu gig…Konerko just went to the track too.  The forecast is for fireworks tonight.

UPDATE: (Top 5th) Garko singles up the middle…Dellucci walks, first BB for Vazquez…1 out…Javy goes 3-0 on Ben Francisco who rolls one past Juan “How Much For Parking?” Uribe – bases loaded, one out. Asdrubal Cabrera puts an inside fastball down the first base line for a bases-clearing double…Cle 4 Sox 1…but even worse, there’s activity in the bullpen.  Where’s the bourbon? Jamey Carroll up…hey, a two-run double!  Cle 6 Sox 1!  Amid the boos, Ozzie found the bullpen, and I found the bourbon.  Mmmm, bourbon. Javy out, Clayton Richard gives up another gapper …7-1 Indians…You know, the thing I admire the most about borbon is the vanilla notes in the flavor, it’s almost like having an ice-cream cone but you can’t feel your face…Garko forces Come Back Jhonny out at second and this 6R 6H 2B inning is now over.  Face: can still kind of feel it.

UPDATE: (Bot 5th)  AJ with a 1-out line drive single up the middle.  So is this payback for the 2005 September where the Chisox almost choked their gi-normous division lead but took the last series to clinch against an almost identical Indians team?  All I know for sure is this: you gotta let Ronald be Ronald. Clayton Richard: you got out of the inning.  Don’t trip over Javy’s suitcase back there.

UPDATE: (Bot 6th) Brian Anderson walks…Dye srikes out looking.  It is nothing short of astonishing that this tired bunch of millionaires can’t even manage to get eliminated tonight.  Goddammit, lead, follow, or get me another Maker’s neat.

UPDATE: (Bot 7th) Solo bomb from Konerko.  Cle 7 Sox 2.  Remember that scene in The Bad Lieutennant where Harvey Ketel is watching the NLCS and Darryl Strawberry turns in one of his “patented moon shots”…to make it 11-2 Dodgers?   Fists….in the air….

UPDATE:  (Top 8th) Richard out, Lance Broadway in. Impromptu staging of “Cats” takes place in living room.  Broadway gets into the mood by giving up a double to Garko, driving in Martinez. Cle 8 Sox 2.  Actual cats not amused. Face: numb.

UPDATE: (Bot 8th) At some point during the Tony awards, RHP Brendan Donnelly took the bump…Juan Uribe reaches by beating a roller up the 1B line…Carbrera sends a wicked slice double down the RF foul line, Uribe on 3rd..Dewayne Wise up…Donnelly’s stuff is on the dead side..3-2…struck out looking. Dye sac flies to Choo in right, Uribe beats the throw for RBI #91  Cle 8 Sox 3…out goes Donnelly, in comes LHP Rafael Perez to face Jim Thome with Cabrera on third…2-2…fastball smacked to the left drives in Cabrera – Cle 8 Sox 4…Jensen Lewis in to face Konerko with one on…FIRST PITCH — POW 2 RUN SHOT TO RIGHT — PAULIE’S SECOND FOR THE NIGHT! Cle 8 Sox 6…replay looks like a changeup, drifed inside…Alexei singles on an E5 off of Carroll’s glove to bring the tying run to the plat…AJ up, 1-2 count…Ozzie yelling about Lewis balking, high fly to Sizemore in center…3 outs.  Face:  very numb, slightly moist.

UPDATE: (Top 9th) Welcome to the mound Scott Linebrink, who looked very much like his old self in oe of the few bright spots against Minnesota..Asdrubal Cabrera singles a chest-high slider under Konerko’s glove…Sizemore singles up the middle nearly decapitating Linebrink…Carroll lays down a 5-4 sac bunt, followed by ihntentional whalk of Choo…bags juiced..for Jhonny Peralta…fhuck. Perlata line drives to left to score Cabrera…Cle 9 Chi 6...bases loaded, Matt Thornton in, line drive single scores Sizemore…Cle 10 Sox 6…I’m sure I’d feel much worse if I wasn’t so heavily sedated…Franklin Guttierez in for Delucci, what are you worried, Wedge?…anotehr line drive to right, drives in two. Cle 12 Sox 6.

Uncle.